If you are regularly downing Normal Empress then I would stick with the Staff with NO gem...

If you are not regularly downing Empress I would swiftly put a Gem in the staff and upgrade it too 504... It will help you greatly on progression.

This will help too cause I believe most healers will be gunning for that mace as well and it won't be an immediate upgrade as you have a 504 staff.

Higher item level (8+) > itemization on weapons since Spell Power is a big factor!

Downed HC Empress last ID and it doesnt change the fact that 8 specs compete for this god damn mace. If you arent guaranteed to get the mace in the next month, I'd put the gem and the eye on your staff.

Originally Posted by Socialhealer

he wants to play ele shaman but it's always fucked up, so it's a state of permanently insulted, i understand that feeling as an ele shaman.

Use the staff upgrade it as much as you can, then wait till no one else in your group needs a sha weapon to take a crack at the mace, because even though it's an upgrade, it's not huge enough that it's worth worrying about and quite honestly, your vp going into upgrading a different piece of gear rather than upgrading a second sha weapon may give you more of an upgrade. Maxing out the value of the sha-touched weapon you have will improve your performance right now, which should be your goal rather than waiting and hoping for a weapon you may never get.

To put it in perspective, your net gain of having the mace with that OH over the staff is 104 intellect, but the haste/crit itemization of the staff will probably end up being better than the 733 spirit you get on the mh/oh combo which will further narrow the gap. Given current levels of intellect, that 104 int is going to translate into <1% dps on your overall performance. In summation, take the staff, let your healers have the mace.

Use the staff upgrade it as much as you can, then wait till no one else in your group needs a sha weapon to take a crack at the mace, because even though it's an upgrade, it's not huge enough that it's worth worrying about and quite honestly, your vp going into upgrading a different piece of gear rather than upgrading a second sha weapon may give you more of an upgrade. Maxing out the value of the sha-touched weapon you have will improve your performance right now, which should be your goal rather than waiting and hoping for a weapon you may never get.

To put it in perspective, your net gain of having the mace with that OH over the staff is 104 intellect, but the haste/crit itemization of the staff will probably end up being better than the 733 spirit you get on the mh/oh combo which will further narrow the gap. Given current levels of intellect, that 104 int is going to translate into <1% dps on your overall performance. In summation, take the staff, let your healers have the mace.

thanks.. never thought about it that way.. bc we have a healer who needs it plus it still needs to drop and after they get it. if itl even drop again .. so yeah il just put a gem and upgrade the staff